The Ultimate Buy (Votes) Now, Pay Later (with OPM) Presidency

America has never before had a leader who was more willing to spend other people’s money (OPM) to fund his own agenda. By invoking the “Never let a crisis go to waste” doctrine, Obama has embarked, unfettered, on a progression of non-congressionally debated programs.

Each of these programs has gone a long way towards implementing Obama’s vision for our nation. The basic principles revolve around one theme.

Details have varied but the end results point in the same direction. None of this could have happened if the media was not complicit in its adoration and deferential treatment of our newly re-empowered king.

This year’s presidential race employed class warfare as a talking point to an unprecedented extreme. Obama’s campaign hinged on refocusing America’s collective psyche away from four years of a horrible economy. Instead, Democrats directed the media and the public towards simply loathing those who were unusually productive or successful, or who just happened to be members of the ‘lucky sperm’ club.

History will show that the political strategy worked. Obama’s economic policies and a huge slug of working-age Americans didn’t.

The Great Recession was an excuse for more than $4 trillion in new deficit spending during Obama's first term. Yet presidential candidate Obama was outraged G.W. Bush's $9 trillion national debt. President Obama is insulted by any debt limits, even after running up the national debt to north of $16 trillion!

It was easy to get the masses to agree that taxes should be much higher, as long those higher levies would be paid strictly by somebody else.

We are already starting to see the lies concerning the true costs of ObamaCare. Those with decent incomes will now be paying for their own policies plus the costs for another, anonymous family.

College loans? In the old days, students borrowed as little as was necessary. They repaid it quickly to save on interest expense. Today's Federal student loans incentivize borrowing the maximum amount available. They also reward delaying repayment for as long as legally permissible.

Graduates who get jobs deemed ‘good for society’ (like congressional aides) might have their balances written off outright. Others will have them forgiven after 10 – 20 years. The ‘gifts’ come now from a benevolent Obama; the taxpayer burden of loan forgiveness will hit long after Obama's tenure.

The way to eliminate unemployment is to eliminate unemployment insurance. Pay people to stay at home and they will. Extensions in unemployment insurance foster ‘off the books’ work. This keeps more "unemployed" voters indebted to their enablers. Disability eliminates the charade of even looking for work by making things permanent plus adding Medicaid coverage.

Housing subsidies and food stamps give working people a disincentive to earn more. Why bust your ass only to forfeit the ability to live cheaply or free?

Refi’s and Cram-downs steal money from those who made the loans while shifting default risk to those suckers who actually still pay federal income taxes.

The 2% FICA tax holiday funded consumer spending during the two-years prior to presidential election. The $120 billion yearly bill must be made up through increased non-FICA taxation. This shifts the burden further onto the ‘lucky few’ and away from ‘working people’.

If any part of tax relief does not get extended this 2% temporary cut might be sacrificed as it brings in big money and there are no more big elections for two years.

If we trained our pets and children that way, we’d get bad dogs and lazy kids. This, however, has become Washington’s standard operating procedure.

Democracy has morphed into, “Two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.” The voting results will not necessarily be moral, but they will always reflect a solid majority. Those hungry wolves can then correctly claim they had an electoral mandate.

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don't care much for this article, I don't know anybody nor ever have known who wanted to be on unemployment and know a lot of people who currently have good jobs are worried as hell about being forced into unemployment.

V, that is a good point, there are many people who would be working if they could and many who are forced to take jobs they are overqualified for in order to get some income. Also plenty whose hours have been cut as their employer tries to save money. There are also those (you don't know) who realize that they can do better for one reason or another simply not working - e.g. an old friend who had to stop working in order to get health care for his wife with cancer.... (insurance was refusing to pay). I know people in both categories, and doubt there are any fix-all solutions.

As far as Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid are concerned, they should be a non-issue for those worth saving; those who favor liberty, accountability and so forth.

The three programs I mentioned relate only to ‘prescription drugs’ and related services. Most, probably all, prescription drugs are a poison. All have to be “approved” by the FDA; before the FDA will accept a concoction for examination, it requires the applicant to submit a form “LD50”, Lethal Dosage 50% (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LD50). This form details the dosage that will kill 50% of those who ingest it.

With approval from the FDA and warnings of dangerous side effects, drug makers are protected from lawsuits for negative results caused by their products. The major reason that governments subsidize the ‘cut, burn and poison’ industry (as I call it) is to kill people as soon as possible after they retire. This keeps the two bribery systems (Social Security and Public Employee Retirement Systems) functioning a few years longer (http://redressone.wordpress.com/a-tale/). The lesson here? If you’re concerned with health, you want to get away from Obamacare et cetera as far as possible.

I’m 68 years old, but my biological age is somewhere between 20 and 30 years. For exercise, I go to batting cages and hit 800 to a thousand pitches three days a week; speeds range from 60-90 mph. I frequently take turns with former pro and college players who tell me I should be playing in the men’s senior league – a level of play equal to a major college. They all tell me I would “lead” or “wreck the league”; and I’m not a body builder; instead, 5’ 10”, one hundred, thirty-five pounds. I attained this condition by following a set of health principles I’ve assembled over the previous 35 years (http://redressone.wordpress.com/turn/).

In other words, I’m living proof you don’t have to grow old; you don’t have to suffer from arthritis, a bent body; diabetes, maybe cancer or a thousand other ailments; you can retain or recover the strength, health and vitality of youth by following the above referenced principles

When you have 50% of the people sitting on their ass getting handouts from the other 50% that are working, its easy to see how those 50% of the freeloaders could easily be bought out. Obama added Millions of new folks to the welfare rolls. Illegals were being given instructions where to go for foodstamps as soon as they got across the border. The Obama regime advertised in those crucial states where to sign up for food stamps. Our tax dollars were used to put Obama back in power. America is finished. In four more years we can expect the food stamp rolls to be over 50 Million. Thats why Obama doesn't want to touch the programs that are actually causing our debt to skyrocket. He doesn't care about our debt. Socialist want full control to take everything from those who produce and give to those who don't. Say goodbye to the Republican party. They won't ever win the White House again.

Hate to agree with this but I do. As a one of those "working stiffs" I don't need to be told I'm getting screwed...by everybody. The only winners are the drug dealers...period. Having said that we need to drill down on your logic cuz "we got a cross purposes problem" here. First is ZIRP: "Operation Governmet Check" is only made worse by unlimited debt printing. Second and what is not mentioned here is what constitutes "real revenue generation." I laugh at what The Chicago Way passes off as "people who will pay (for my war.)" it will NOT be America Incorporated. Those would be the one's who outsource all our jobs, make billions and pay ZERO taxes...and in some cases get massive tax refunds actually. This clearly makes "the problem" ("who cares if we lose the war? None of us ever served!") worse as well. What else? Ah, "student debt explosion." the only cure for job creation is to get the deficit under control. That means...that means...that means...

I notice that in an above post, many still do not understand squat about the housing fraud, primarily that MERS, the vehicle that allowed securitization of 100% of the same mortgages to as many as 12 different investors, generally obfuscated title, thus destroying property rights and courthouse accountability, was established in 1995, long before the true manifestation of the housing bubble. The housing debacle was PURPOSELY PLANNED.

My point is, you still do not know how to challenge your own democracy. I am not anti-American, I am just embarrassed that no one knows how to challenge the status quo. It seems all Americans have been programmed into believing that if you challenge the idiots running the show, you must be a commie?

When you do challenge the status quo you end up at Wall Streets door? What a total waste of time and deployment of people! The banksters and politicians loved it. People spent days picketting people that had little to do with the theft of the public purse. So somehow Americans have to not only learn their own democracy but also how to challenge it.

The banksters and the "takers" (those on the government dole) are all the problem. Those who work all their lives and save a little now have to redistribute what they have to help the crooks and the "takers". Our system has braking down due to greed, the pursuit of power and those who want everything free.

The America I grew up in where hard work and success were rewarded is now gone. Tax the successful and give it to the banksters and the "takers". Our progressive tax schedules are a case in point. Class warfare on the 1% will soon be on anyone who has some money-"means testing".

The current versin of the Rep./GOP would make a true conservative vomit... as they continue to do everything possible to crush the US economy... in an ongoing asset grab... low wages, low bebefits, with no psitive future for WORKERS who built the nation.

If you're a Republican patriot... change your party for the better, or let the fat cat elitest party continue to rot from within.

Currently, they continue to be an enemy of the american people and are holding back any real recovery to continue bankster theft.

Not sure I understand the authors point? Was 2001-2008 just a joke to him? He seems to think that Obama wants to "redistribute the wealth"? Lets see, since Since 911 banks have made up new rules to ensure they profit from every new vehicle they could possible make up. The politicans went along or created those new rules and vehicles because they all profited from them as well.

The rich did not like the fact that the peons of America were actually getting a leg up and making some money on housing. This allowed to many mortals into the immortal club. So they shit-canned the whole system and drove it into the ground, knowing full well they would just go back to the public trough again.

There was never an advocate in the Whitehouse that gave a shit about Joe, so the rich were always reinstated when they went bankrupt and Joe was let to rot in the street. Claim bankruptcy as a company and ditch workers and their life long pensions was "good for America" and good for the stock listing on the market! Joe declares bankruptcy and he is a poria, a leech on society and should be smitten?

You finally get a President who says, OK boys for every dollar you bilk from the Public purse fixing up your RICH buddies, I will match it to support the poor and middle class. You stop bilking the treasury to fix up your old boys club of criminals and I will stop dolling out things to the other classes in the good ole USA.

The trouble is, the Old Boys network is so embedded in your gov, they can't stop feeding at the trough. They dole out billions to worms like Goldman Sachs, and then Blackenstein goes on TV saying the solution is to cut back Social Programs?

This all MAY backfire but I see Obama playing hardball with the rich elite in the US. He is saying if you pilfer the treasury to fix up the ole boys club we will drive America into Bankruptcy together. Immature? Possibly but who is the immature group? Before you condemn a person who is doing nothing more then matching dollar for dollar the money given to the rich free of charge, its time to look at those that give CRIMINALS in your society the same perks.

So far, I see a gutless bunch of talkers that do not know how to even challenge their democracy! Perhaps Americans are just to afriad to do anything about their own problems? Perhaps this is why you need automatic weapons in the house, to get the boogeyman? Perhaps this is why Drones are so popular, no one gets hurt except the bad guy. Perhaps this is why a fair fight in North America is 10 guys aginst 1? Maybe we have ALL turned into gutless pussies and can not admit it?

I am seeing America being destroyed from the outside, its not a nice sight! I see people that side with the Banksters and the Criminal element, like this Author does, as they denounce the "favors" given to the middle and lower class. By doing so you align yourself with the very people that you say you are against?

Its smoke and mirrors and so far, everyone is falling in line like a bunch of gutless pussies bashing the little guy for losing his home, or bashing all your neighbours for being stupid. No one will admit this was the biggest scam in American History conducted by the banks and politicans. You defend what you think is a democracy when in fact you are defending the people you say you hate?

Obama went along with the bank bailouts or have you so quickly forgotten. Where does Obama go on vacations? He's always hanging out with his rich friends. Warren Buffett is so deep up Obama's ass is a joke. Buffett made sure Obama would bail out Goldmen Sachs just when Buffett was loading up with GS shares. Did you forget Obama blasting bush for a four trillion debt saying its crazy to keep borrowing from the Chinese? Now that the Debt is Trillions higher due to Obama's playing Santa Clause the past four years, he suddenly pushes it all back on congress. Obamacare itself is going to cost the people trillions more in taxes and continue to cost more just like every other govrnment program that was ever invented as a means of doing good for the masses.

Hah, you make me laugh. Your post actually makes it seem like you think Obama is working for "the little guy". Or maybe you were being sarcastic. Obama and his cronies see the unwashed masses as incredibly useful fools, because they will support him literally no matter what he does. All he has to do is to make one of his speeches every once in a while and the mindless mob will (A) believe what he says and not look at what he's doing or (B) assume that he's only not doing what he said he would do because its part of some grand strategem. You appear to fall into group B. Obama is not "playing hardball with the rich" he is a tool of the super-rich - Buffet, Corzine, Gates, Dimon. Any of those names ring a bell?

You are an Atypical American who sees the poor and middle class as "getting what they deserved". It really does not matter to you that the establishment orchestrated this downfall and your crush of the standard of living you used to enjoy. There is so much corruption in your government and your banks that it is now the norm to accept whatever comes your way. The 47% did not cause this problem. You seem to think the 5 trillion+ that Obama and his hoard has spent has been strictly on the poor? Not so, if you were to tally up all the gifts given to the rich while Obama was in power it would easily absorb about 3.5 trillion or more. So whether the intent was to match dollar for dollar the pilfering of public funds, that is how it has turned out.

If social programs are scratched or shredded. Will you be happy? If so, then you will be ectastic to know that any limitations on the rich will just result in new loopholes.

Everyone is sitting here critcizing Obama. I see no reason too. He is one person. Your real Government power is sitting in Congress, who controls that? Who controls the Senate? So there is a 50/50 split of people attempting to run the country. Any money going to the rich is handed out by Repubs, and any money going to the middle class is handed out by the Senate.

I realize thats a simplistic way to look at it but thats how you have to look at it. So its okay to hand out Trillions to banks, but its not Ok to have a reasonable health care system for the poor? Is it your philosophy that poor people should just freeze in the dark?

You seem to have no problem sending money to other countries to keep the politically friendly with you but for some unknown reason if one of your own poor develops cancer well fuck him its his fault for getting it?

If a person was "forced" to pay $300K for a home because that was the market, and he had a job that could support it, but lost his job because of the banksters fraud, well he deserved it! He did not plan for it, he was "over mortgaged" and he was a stupid fuck. If he had kids, fark it, throw them onto the street, who gives a shit, he deserves it. Now, give the guy healthcare? Fuck him, he screwed up, (lets not mention bankster fraud). The guy is a waste of skin, let him find his own way. But, lets send $20 billion over to another country so they think were neat guys and keep us on the friendly list.......... makes sense to me!

So why did you vote for Obama again? Those of us who voted against Obama twice can speak our peace. As for that $5 trillion that was wasted in stimulus money, Most of that went for Obama's union friends. It kept teachers and other union folks working a full week while much of America was either laid off or working part time jobs. Why do you think Obama wants another $50 Billion as part of his fiscal cliff deal. Does that sound like he wants to cut the deficit? Hell no. Its all about paying back his union friends for their funding his reelection. If we give Obama a blank check on the Debt limit it will be like giving a child free run in a candy store. Put your diving gear on. Were going over. It's what Obama really wants.

TC you are a self important ass. CONgress has had several events where they "ignored" the "will of the people" during votes. ObamaCare, TARP, ARRA, NDACC, and "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" (anytime a fucking congressman calls something "eomprehensive" and "reform" you know God Damn well it is neither!).

During ALL those votes it was 80 AGAINST in the calls and emails and only 20% "for". Call your congressman and ask. Because with your posts, it is clear you don't talk to your congressman. I do and I ask, and they will answer questions when conrered.

You are also niave. If you think anyone up there wants to 'solve" of "fix" anything, you are insane.

It will take a revolution to fix this corruption.

And YES you do have a bias, and it is celarly against the GOP and COnservativbes. That'sa OK though, I am a "Constitutionalist" and clearly I do not have ANY representation in this "representative government".

I see an entire page of comments about red/blue, and ebw is the only one to approach root cause. When the limitation of liability is allowed to conceal the concentration of wealth and power (aka corporations), a point is approached where these corporate interests have the resources to buy the government. We have long ago passed that point. Congress and the POTUS are owned by the corporate interests. Why won't 'throwing the bums out' work? Because those same corporate interests own the media who tells J6P who he wants to vote for as replacements. Jobs outsourced? Tax breaks instituted at the behest of the the corporate interests. Health care turned to shit? Google the Flexner report. This is not a recent development; it extends all the way back to Rockefeller, Carnegie, and that bunch of miscreants. It has simply achieved critical mass in the last 30 years.

You will have to look beyond the red/blue debate for a solution. No workable solutions will be found until unrestrained corporate interests and the resultant concentrations of wealth/power are cut off at the knees.

I would tend to agree. So whats the solution? Do nothing? When was the last time a Congressmans electoral office was picketed and people threatening to throw him out? Do you have a "recall system" in the US where if the guy is not performing to the "will of the people" he can be tossed mid term? If not...why not? Why not picket that? We throw people out of every job under the sun for not doing there job, so why are these dorks immune?

There are going to be a lot of people put "up against the wall" when this 2nd Obama administration winds down. I think we start seeing the effects of degradation and the cracks in the Republic starting this year in about March/April. The layoffs will start in earnest, and all the rest of the "profits" and "earnings" will continue to go down. That is where we will have a mass "resignation" of congresscritters, knowing they are going to be hunted down for the illegalities, corruption and damage they have perpetrated against "We the People". The real "collapse" is a "Hot August" into fall, with a really bad winter of discontent and pain... and hunger.

First will be the media and the Governmental Agencies that put out the statistics lies, that UE is at 8.1%, GDP at 2%, and Inflation at 2%, when it is really UE 23%, inflation 10%, and GDP is -2%. Where the hell were the God Damn people we hired to watch this shit? We don't keep these numbers to make a politician look good, or to give an asshole a government job, we give them these jobs so CITIZENS KNOW what the "true nature" of our economy is, not just to produces some fucking tables of numbers!. And the Media, is worthless, with NO CLUE on where we really are, talking up the FC, and ignoring the fact that no matter "what deal" is done, it makes NO DIFFERENCE!! OMG, when the angry population rises up against the "4th Estate" reporters will be villified if not outright assaulted, look no further than the Union thugs assaulting reporters. Just think on a larger scale and even more pissed off. CNN, and MSNBC and their ilk will become ghost towns, and angry viewers are going to wonder WHY DIDN'T YOU ASSHOLES REPORT ON HOW BAD IT WAS???? And they are going to demand answers as to why these MSM outlets thought the "First Amendment Free Speech" allowed them to become PRAVDA. If their job was to "report the news" whey the hell didn't the? Do they own a calculator, and can they use it?

Can't wait till someone tells PIers Morgan to just FUCK OFF.

The snap back will be very bad, but necessary. Bad people that were not brought to justice will have it brought to them, think Jon Corzine and the $29 Billion he vaporized. Those people I bet are pretty chapped they had their money "vaporized". I would bet there are "contracts pending" on people. Big money people don't like to loose money to corrupt cheating big money people.

Then we get to the malcontents that want to sit on their asses and suck on the Gov't. tit. They will be pissed, because they have been acclimated to it, and now come to expect that this is "normal". They will be doing as they have been taught: this belongs to them and they deserve it, which is patently false. These are the poor souls that are lost, and they will become the zombies, unless they can "re-learn" the precepts of society, such as first you must be responsible for YOU.

There will be lots of people in deep trouble, and you will need to protect yourself, and your family. I think the blowup will last less that 3 months. However just as people have learned to "not trust the market", they will also learn "not to trust the Government" or lying gov't. statistics. Credibility will be a hard earned thing, and MANY lying politicians, criminal CEO's, and Criminal bankers are going to be drug out in the streets, there will be a purge.

Just ask the Republican Party, they have a purge in progress right now. Members have committee chairs taken from them, and there is a mass exodus in the GOP from former GOP members.

People now know that the Politicians, Bankers, and Political Parties have done more damage to this country than any terrorist or invading Army ever could.

Everyman- can you say that its the Dems fault? Or was it the Repubs fault? Or is it the flaws in your system's fault? Would having a Repub in office make things better? I think not. My theory is, "electing the old bums to replace the new bums solves nothing".

Social programs have ONLY lazy good for nothings claiming support? So the weak, sick and disabled are by definition leaches. So, is the system at fault or the program? Why not force your government to correct the holes in the Porgram before believing everyone is a leach?

TC, IMO ALL those in congress need to leave. The problem is the "political parties", R's and D's. The "old guards" need to be replaced en masse and nothing is fixed until there is a major blowup and I think these assholez know we are gonna blow up this year. Why would there be an Executive order to INCREASE wages for the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES and CONGRESS???????

Social programs have ONLY lazy good for nothings claiming support? So the weak, sick and disabled are by definition leaches.

Strawman argument, MOST can provide for themselves, but the majority ARE leeches. Congress will NOT correct the "holes" because thos "holes" are "voters". Are you shure you read my post? Seems like you have a democratic party bias.

actualy I am reading your posts. So you know that their are leeches in the system. Congress will not fill the holes. So when was the last time there was a demonstration in Washington or outside a Congressmans office to correct it?

Is there something I am missing here?

Everyone knows what the problems are, some even can come up with solutions, but everyone is doing nothing?

How can that be? Really, HOW CAN THAT BE? Does everyone wait for the collapse of the system and then say "Gee someone shoulda done something. This is YOUR COUNTRY?

Honest I have no bias, its either the old bums or the old old bums. Thats what a 2 party system does to you.

Well, yes. But the truly weak/sick/disabled total less than 2.5% of any given population. i have no problem providing a safety net for these folks. i do have a problem with 45% who pretend/choose/vote to be weak/sick/disabled to get their EBT & freebies, dragging the rest of society down with them.

don't pretend for one second that all or even half of the 8mil.+ americans now on disability are actually disabled.

don't pretend for one second that 45mil.+ EBT recipients are all destitute or malnourished.

"Why not force your government to correct the holes in the Porgram before believing everyone is a leach..."

congratulations, you've summed up the motivation of the Tea Party quite succinctly. And if you think any of the one-party frauds in DC will 'correct' anything per the will of the people, then you are even more naive than your pollyanna posts suggest...

So you have a problem with the 45% (assuming that is valid number) what is the American Taxpayer doing to let his Gov know this is not acceptable? If you say Tea Partiers, well you are in trouble because Tea Partiers are also not very realistic in my facets of their beliefs.

You do not cut the cables to the rudder after turning hard to port to turn around.

If everyone believes the Tea Partiers are the answer, why not picket your Repub/Dem Congress person and demand they tow the Tea Partier line?

How about SOMEONE organizing a rally that demands the US Government from this point on, be paid for any outside country intervention for a start? That means if Nato says go after Assad, NATO PAYS THE BILL.

If Israel decides to pop Amerdidatwit, then the US shows the bill before they go in. If Israel cannot pay it, DO NOT GO IN.

That would be a good start? The world has suffered the consequences of bad wars by America, but also has benefited from the good ones (if there is such a thing). So get some Accountant to figure out what everyone has to throw into the bucket to get you guys to lob in a missile etc.

Sound crass? Hey your broke, time to be crass!

Disabled that are not!

Demand the Public Servants of the department do their jobs. Investigate the Doctors who are signing off on longterm disabilities. Send people out with video to tape the interlopers. You cannot afford to be nice guys anymore!!!

When the shit hits the fan, and it might be a while because all the politicians in the world are supporting our charade knowing full well if th US of A goes down then everyone is going down, there will be no parties. There will be angry mobs and there will be armed groups that protect themselves...the world will once again be tribal and there will be no rule of law. The most heavily armed groups will syrvive the best. Yes, many people will stand in front of a firing squad or hang from a high place and there will be butchery, but the wisest people will take what they can transport and go as far away from the angry mobs as possible. The cops and military will let the anger burn itself out before moving in to restore order...they know they don't have the numbers to do otherwise. Unfortunately many innocent people will be killed before this happens...only time will tell, but right now governments of the developed world are trying to figure out how to continue to give their populations champagne when in fact they don't even have beer money. The charade will end soon.

Democracy has morphed into, “Two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.”

Democracy has always been thus. This is what Aristotle explained 2400 years ago. That is why the founding fathers of the U.S. sought a Republic, where the rights of the minority are protected against the usurpations of the majority.

It isn't, thus the swelling liberty/freedom movement (ignored by the MSM).

Where is the equivalent movement from america's progressive left? Where are the anti-war, anti-empire, pro-civil liberties democrats? Certainly not in the WH nor Senate nor MSM.

This is why the Left + Obama + Dems are so often trashed here on ZH... they are neo-con hypocrites and defenders of Wall St./Fed/Orwellian status quo. So go ahead and blame Bush/neo-cons etc. all you want, but don't pretend that the 'other side' is any better...